In some cases of airborne transmission, small droplets linger in the air for minutes to hours and possibly infect people more than six feet away or after the infected person has left the area.
The larger ones, called droplets, fall quickly to the ground. These typically travel less than 3 to 6 feet. But the smallest particles, called aerosols, can hang in the air for minutes or even hours.
People with flu can spread it to others. Most experts think that influenza viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze, or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
While coughing did expel some flu particles, the researchers discovered that almost half of the aerosol particles collected in the absence of coughing also contained flu matter, suggesting that simply inhaling germ-ridden air could get you sick.
The flu is not airborne, meaning flu particles do not stay suspended in the air. Rather, the virus spreads through the air via respiratory droplets, when an infected person coughs or sneezes within six feet of you. Those droplets do not hang around in the air for long enough to spread via airborne transmission.
Although you were exposed to flu, you will not have symptoms right away. Symptoms usually develop within 1-4 days of seasonal flu contact. 7 days is an outer limit. Even if you get the flu, the illness is not likely to be severe in most people and they will do fine.
Even if you try your best to stay healthy when someone in the house has the flu, there's still a chance that you'll become infected. The flu causes symptoms that range from mild to severe, and if you live with certain medical conditions such as heart disease, getting the flu can increase your risk of complications.
You may have the flu if you experience: 1 Fever or chills 2 Cough 3 Sore throat 4 Body aches 5 Fatigue If you or a loved one exhibits these symptoms, it's essential to take precautions. Stay indoors, rest, and let us help you feel better. 🏡💊 Brashear's Pharmacy offers FREE delivery within a 5- mile radius.
The drug Tamiflu may help prevent flu after close contact. But, it is only advised for some very High-Risk patients (CDC). See the High-Risk list. The CDC recommends early treatment if flu symptoms occur, not preventive treatment.
Most healthy children and adults with the flu can infect others beginning about one day before developing any symptoms and up to seven days after the symptoms resolve. People with weakened immune systems can remain contagious for up to several weeks.
Days 1–3: Sudden appearance of fever, headache, muscle pain and weakness, dry cough, sore throat and sometimes a stuffy nose. Day 4: Fever and muscle aches decrease. Hoarse, dry or sore throat, cough and possible mild chest discomfort become more noticeable. You may feel tired or flat.
Both influenza A and B viruses survived for 24–48 hr on hard, nonporous surfaces such as stainless steel and plastic but survived for <8–12 hr on cloth, paper, and tissues.
Influenza is caused by viruses. These viruses travel through the air in droplets when someone with the infection coughs, sneezes or talks. You can inhale the droplets directly. Or you can pick up the virus from touching an object, such as a computer keyboard, and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Remember, the virus is killed by hot temperatures, so if you do clean your sheets and towels, use the hot temperature setting instead of warm.
You will start to notice your fever is going down and less achiness in your muscles, but a cough and sore throat are normal at this point. You will still feel very tired, and may have some chest discomfort, making you want to rest in bed all day. On day 5, you should start to see the end of this illness.
Testing specimens collected within 3-4 days of illness onset (when influenza viral shedding is highest) is more likely to yield positive RIDT results if the patient has influenza.
Although you were exposed to flu, you will not have symptoms right away. Symptoms usually develop within 1-4 days of seasonal flu contact. 7 days is an outer limit. Even if you get the flu, the illness is not likely to be severe in most people and they will do fine.
Wash your hands often, especially after touching the sick person or their tissues or laundry. Wearing a mask is an additional prevention strategy that you can choose to further protect yourself and others. People who experience emergency warning signs of flu complications should obtain medical care right away.
Do not stop Tamiflu after 2 days, even if you feel better. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is taken for 5 days. If you stop it sooner, your infection may not be fully treated and may come back.
People with flu can be infectious from the day before their symptoms start. Adults are most infectious in the first 3-5 days of their illness. Children can remain infectious for 7-10 days. Young children and people with weakened immune systems may be infectious for longer.
They usually peak between days 2 and 4, and most people feel better after 5–7 days. However, symptoms can last longer. A cough may persist for several weeks. The flu can leave a person unable to work, perform household duties, or tend to children for several days.